Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs

The mission of the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs is to improve the lives of all immigrants and resettled refugees who are living in Albuquerque. The Office was established in 2016, with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, to coordinate efforts to better serve immigrant and refugee residents.

The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs convened a steering committee made up of staff from a wide range of immigrant and refugee serving community-based organizations.

The Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs commissioned a comprehensive evaluation of needs, resources and readiness of City government departments and programs to be inclusive of immigrants, refugees, and English-language learners in Albuquerque.

The evaluation, completed July 2017, found a need for improvements in language access to City services and for outreach and navigation services in order to maximize the participation of immigrants and refugees in all areas of civic life. The evaluation also concluded that policies to promote immigrant and refugee safety and integration are essential. This evaluation is used as a guide by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs.

Aid for Asylum Seekers

Albuquerque is preparing to receive asylum seekers from the U.S. southern border.

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Aid for Afghan Refugees

Albuquerque is preparing to receive refugees from Afghanistan.

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Community Engagement Process

The Office conducted an extensive community engagement process in 2017. With the help of people from immigrant and refugee communities, we learned more about what communities need through a creative, community-building process.

Download: Office of Immigrant & Refugee Affairs - Creative Community Engagement Process Final Report